Tool Handle Complete

[Mike A. Smith]

I finished a couple of the tool handles today and I wanted to thank everyone for the advice received. In particular, Ron McKinley for letting me be the guinea pig / previewer for his article and Paul Engle for some helpful advice. Saved me lots of trial and error work.

Mini-gloat: That's my new 3/8" Thompson spindle gouge. I also got a larger spindle gouge, a detail gouge and a 3/4" skew.

Sanded to 180 (didn't want them too slick) and used BLO during sanding. I was considering a coat of satin wipe on poly for durability. What do you guys usually use, if anything?

Two down and two to go!

[Gordon Seto]

Mike,

Very nice handle. Is that cherry? I like the warm wood tone and the compression fitting ferrule. I am going to try one instead of the ½ copper pipe coupling.

Ron McKinley's article can be found here:
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/handles.asp

I really like the short cut for fitting a flat tang in his article.

Gordon

[Bill Jack]

Nice looking handle Mike. Also like the brass ferrule.
Ive used a variety of woods to 'handle' my growing collection of Thompson tools,(now 6) mahogany, ash, cherry, and today there will one from Pear. I sand down to at least 800, give two coats of sanding sealer cutting back between coats and a final two coats of friction polish.
I leave it to cure for 24 hours, really hard to do this cause I want to play with the new toys, then theyre ready to go. the gloss does wear,but to a lovely sheen, and it feels really good to use.
How about some roughing gouges next Doug? I've got some spare handles.
Regards, Bill

[Gordon Seto]

How about some roughing gouges next Doug? I've got some spare handles.


Doug has brought one to our Club hat demo last month. It was not on his sample board. He said he doubted he is going to make the roughing gouge for sale because the material of a big round A-11 bar costs too much. It is not a matter of spare handle; it is spare change.

BTW, it was a very substantial tool. If you can break that tang (3/4" diameter I think); you have to do something terribly wrong with an at least 5 feet long handle.

Doug has the cutter to make it. But I think you have to be patient. He has sold out his tools at Indy Fest; he is stock piling his inventory for Turning 2007 Symposium next month. He is going to be a vendor there.

My tools get bang up. I like more feel to the wood. I stop sanding at no finer than 320, just use couple coats of oil on handle. It can be repaired easily.

Gordon

[Paul Engle]

Nice work Mike, I sand to 320 , polish with paper bag, tung oil rubbed in then burnished on the lathe, let sit a couple minutes and burnish with cotton rag till luster comes up and let dry over nite, nice semi gloss rich looking finish ( especally on walnut) nice grip with out plastic feel and easily fixed if dented etc. I just finished a monster spalted walnut handle for my BBQ..:eek: ( which can be converted to ... ) as XYL won't let me buy any more bg's at this time and will post soon as can find camera .... again.

[Mike A. Smith]

Very nice handle. Is that cherry?


Gordon, no this is walnut (hard to tell on the concrete floor). I bought both cherry and walnut to use, but the cherry diameter was over 2" so I decided to use it for other turning.



and will post soon as can find camera .... again.


Paul, I thought you were going to lock it up!

[Rich Souchek]

Mike,
Looks like you spent a lot of time and energy on the handle, and it looks good, but it alos looks to me like a copy of the HF tool handles.
Just rehandled a 3/8" bowl gouge this week where the handle is about 17" long and a little over 1 1/2" in diameter behind the ferule hump. Your handle looks darn right scimpy, although it is pretty. Is that what you actually like, or is it a copy of something?
Rich S.

[Ron McKinley]

Hey Mike, glad that article worked out for you....Ron

[Mike A. Smith]

Mike,
Looks like you spent a lot of time and energy on the handle, and it looks good, but it alos looks to me like a copy of the HF tool handles.
Just rehandled a 3/8" bowl gouge this week where the handle is about 17" long and a little over 1 1/2" in diameter behind the ferule hump. Your handle looks darn right scimpy, although it is pretty. Is that what you actually like, or is it a copy of something?
Rich S.

The design is sort of a composite of a Sorby and a Pinnacle that I have. Yes, I did want it this small for a spindle gouge on a mini lathe, they don't take a lot of strain. My bowl gouges are a lot beefier and longer.

[Mike A. Smith]

Ron, I think you're going to generate some newbie sales for Doug with this. Without the clear instructions it probably scares some of the new folks off buying unhandled tools.

[Ron McKinley]

Thanks Mike. Glad I could help......Ron

[Dennis Peacock]

Ron, I think you're going to generate some newbie sales for Doug with this. Without the clear instructions it probably scares some of the new folks off buying unhandled tools.

Very nice handle there Mike.!!!! :D

BTW, I like buying unhandled tools...that way I can make a handle for the tool that fits my hand better and is comfortable to my hands while turning.

[Doug Thompson]

Nice job Mike!

Ron did a outstanding job creating the guide, it's simple and to the point. This was a much needed improvement on the web site, I can't thank Ron enough for the time and effort it took to put this together.

[Mike A. Smith]

BTW, I like buying unhandled tools...that way I can make a handle for the tool that fits my hand better and is comfortable to my hands while turning.

Now that I've done a couple I agree. I think I'll be giving Doug some more business pretty soon.

[Allen Neighbors]

Sanded to 180 (didn't want them too slick) and used BLO during sanding. I was considering a coat of satin wipe on poly for durability. What do you guys usually use, if anything?
Hello Mike,
It looks like an expert job to me. Truly a nice handle.
I use Lemon Oil. It keeps the wood from cracking/shrinking from the dry heat I get around this part of Texas. When I pick up the tool, if it seems to be pretty dry, I'll just put another coat on it. Lemon Oil doesn't polymerize, so it keeps penetrating. Helps to keep the cells from collapsing, plus it gives a nice grip to the handle surface.

[Tom Sherman]

Nice handle Mike.